It’s a Pisces thing

 I was born in the sign of water
and it’s there that I feel my best
The albatross and the whale
 they are my brothers. 
(one of my favorite songs ever)
 I have always been drawn to the water, perhaps having been born on an island under the Pisces sign has something to do with it. This Old House has certainly fulfilled a dream of mine, but I have yet another…a little bungalow on the edge of the water somewhere warm.  One of these days…. if the right fixer upper comes along…..  
 My dad had fish tanks years ago and for a while raised his own stock. ο»ΏOne of my favorite tag-along errands with him   (besides the gas station to suck in all those awesome fumes)  were trips to the fish store for supplies.  He almost always let me bring home a new fish for his finned community.  He used nautical navigation maps for the backgrounds of the tanks with rocks, plants and driftwood for decoration.  Most people have seen those aerated treasure chests you can still find today… he had one of those sitting among the rocks and for a brief while I believed they were our cleverly disquised  “family jewels”.  
 Over the years I have had several  tropical fish tanks, gold fish bowls, betta tanks, and for a very very brief time, a salt water tank that, quite frankly, tanked.    A word of advice for those who are contemplating a salt water aquarium…  DON’T DO IT!   They are surely the most beautiful of aquarium environments and the array of  fish are stunning – HOWEVER… Unless you are truly committed to one whopping responsibility consisting of near constant temperature checks, salt level checks, alchalinity, ph-balance, a back-up generator in case your power goes out,  and just in general real-cramp-in-the-a** upkeep…  it ain’t worth it.
 So… when we moved to This Old House we had one remaining tropical tank in my sons old room. He no longer wanted the responsibility of taking care of it and I felt the same way. The tank was dismantled and the fish moved to my husband’s big tank at his office.  We’ve been here almost six months now and I’ve been missing the fins.  There may have been an impulsive stop at Petco last week and I found the missing link.   
Meet Henry. 
He sits on my plant shelf over the kitchen sink.
Why “Henry” ?  I have no idea…
He is what is referred to as a Crown Fin Betta
Bettas are a relatively easy fish as long as you give them what they need.  It breaks my heart to see them in those tiny little containers at the pet stores. Sadly, more often than not customers are told and truly  believe all they need are those tiny little bowls. While it’s true they can survive for years in that condition,  so can a prisoner in a 10 x 10 cell,  to make a fair comparison.   
Henry’s home is just a small goldfish bowl with gravel and a live plant. It’s not the tank I’de prefer to see him in, but for now it’s five times the little plastic container he came in and already he’s livelier and spreading his fins like he’s courting the ceramic chicken sitting next to him.  I’ll be sure to keep the water temp around 75 degrees away from draft and I’ll do a partial water change with distilled water every five days or so to keep the ammonia level down.  A water change in this type of bowl is simple with a  filled gallon water jug  kept under the sink. It will be room temperature and distilled when I’m ready to use it.  Betta food is easy too, just don’t pollute the tank with too much of it by following feeding instructions on the container.  I also like to buy brine shrimp and blood worms on occassion to supplement their diet.  
Bettas come in all colors and a variety of fin shapes…
These are called  half-moon Betta
These are the more common Betta Splendins

More Crown Fin in beautiful  cobalt and purple hues…

This is what I hate to see….
And wouldn’t THIS… be awesome?
hmmm….. ο»Ώ
  

15 thoughts on “It’s a Pisces thing”

  1. Oh No! I feel another fish experiment coming on! We used to have fish too for years. I got tired of being the only "clean up/feed" person so when our last one died I got rid of the aquarium. I, too, love to watch them..but taking care of them is a committment. Love your new "pet". Hugsp Diana

  2. When I first got divorced a few years back I lived in a TINY apartment in the city and had one fish in a tiny bowl, a beta named Frank. Frank the fish.

    I adored him and kept him until his demise. I had no idea I was being mean!

  3. Hey Karen!! Im your newest follower! So…I am listening!!! I actually laughed out loud on that cuz i feel the same way sometimes! I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE your blog! Im a animal lover too..You seem to be! I will be spending some time here FO SHO! I would BEYOND ADORE you tovisit my 14 days of xmas trees…and MY ETSY will show you the dog lover in me! so glad i found you! I have a GIVEAWAY too

    *ENTER CUSTOM FLORAL Give-Away Here *

    xoxokara

  4. I love Betta's. We have had a few. And my boys had a fish tank when they were younger and of course, I did the cleaning. I'm not a fan of slime! I did however, feel the same way about birds as you do about fish and at one time had 14 at once, thanks to a male and female. We are now down to one parrot and she is so messy, I don't know how I handled all the others…constant clean up. But if you have a big heart, you'll do it!

    XO,
    Jane

  5. Hubby had a salt water tank in a former marriage. He was really into it. He wants another and I'm just against it and all the hassle. One fish in one bowl is as far as I would go.

    Your fishy is so handsome! Love his color.

    Di

  6. My brother had a salt water aquarium growing up and it was a lot of work! Once he left home it was one of the first things my mother got rid of!

    Henry is very handsome and I know he'll have a happy home with you and your family!

    I also love that song, and although I'm not born under the sign of water, I am truly a water girl!

    Glad Bailey is doing well!!

    Kat πŸ™‚

  7. Thanks Doll. I have been a fish keeper for as long as I can remember. At one point in my life I had one bedroom with 13 aquria. The smallest a 20 gallon TruVu And 4 that were over 100 gallons each. But those Siamese Fighters have always held a special place in my heart.

  8. My kids asked for one recently and I do think they are beautiful. I thought the upkeep would be more extensive, but it doesn't sound too strenuous. We will have to see. Love hearing stories about when you were young and what shaped you into the woman you are today πŸ™‚

  9. i didn't keep my beta very long….my little bowl like the one you have, got dirty so quickly….actually stinky, and the cleaning out of it every few days just got to be too much….

    so i took him to my favorite pond this summer and no matter how long he lived in that pond, it was better than the pet store or even my house, especially on bowl cleaning day when i was not a happy camper.

    i did love that fish….his name was "what" and it fit him perfectly πŸ™‚

  10. Love the music. I had a gold fish named quinby.
    Committed suicide, found him next to the bowl on the kitchen counter in the morning. Hate when that happens.

  11. Karen, those are beautiful. We had a fresh water aquarium in our first house and I did all the work on it and when we moved I said no more. Now we just have the fish out in the pond. I love Henry though and I am sure he is very happy in his larger home.

  12. VERY cool fish! I have seen them…at the Nail Salon! My MOST favorite is the bright purple one!!! And the bright BLUE one! I never dreamed they came in so many different colors!! Glad you have a new friend to keep you company in the kitchen! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!!

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